


Night Shift

by ReaderOfFics817



Category: The Rookie (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Love, Napping, Pre-Relationship, Randomness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:26:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24085066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReaderOfFics817/pseuds/ReaderOfFics817
Summary: Lucy and Tim work a night shift together; night shifts are rough. Honestly, super random, I was bored, and this is what happened.
Relationships: Tim Bradford & Lucy Chen, Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen
Comments: 6
Kudos: 136





	Night Shift

“Why did we think this was a good idea?” Lucy groaned, it was 2 am and Lucy and Tim had been working since 8 am the day before. It had been busy straight through till 10 pm, but since then it had been dead quiet. Problem was, they both thrived on action, so now staying awake was getting harder and harder. 

“We? I recall telling you this was a terrible idea.” Tim knocked his head back against the headrest of their shop. Lucy hadn’t been a rookie for 8 months now; Tim was now a sergeant on patrol and their work relationship had moved farther and farther from a T.O.-rookie dynamic to a true partnership. He no longer berated her for mistakes, not that she made them to begin with, or quizzed her ruthlessly on the ins and outs of police work; just offered advice here and there when appropriate, or when she asked. He had relaxed and they truly had fun when on shift together. Outside of work, they were…well, they didn’t know what they were…friends? But they were all friends, and that didn’t describe their relationship with each other appropriately…. Edging on more than that? Who knows… But, that’s how they ended up here, at 2 am on a Thursday morning, fighting to stay awake. 

“You could have said no, you know?” Lucy laughed recalling how she had to bribe him to pick up the shift with her so she wouldn’t get stuck with Johnson. Johnson was a fine cop, but he was kind of a misogamist, never treating female cops as equals; she could deal with it, but it was annoying. 

“And leave you with Officer “Men are the Superior Species” Johnson?” He scoffed; in reality, any other person asks him to do night shift he would have laughed in their face regardless of who they were paired with, but he was finding it harder and harder to say no to Lucy, especially when she begged, looking at him like a sad puppy dog. Also, Johnson was a prick. 

She laughed, “Such a gentleman.” 

“I try, I try.” He smiled his signature eye-twinkling grin at her; the one that made her stomach flutter in the most satisfying way. “Besides,” he took a chance, “I for some reason can’t say no to you.” 

Ok, ok, Lucy thought; blatant flirting now. This could be fun. “Ooooh I could have fun with that power.” She smiled at him looking like she had a plan forming in her head. 

“I think I’m gonna need more coffee.” He smirked as he pulled into a 24 hour Starbucks drive through. After ordering his own black coffee, he turned to her, “What do you want, Boot?” He still occasionally called her that, but now only as a term of endearment, or so it seems. 

“Oh you know, I’ve been wanting to try that Pink drink!” 

“Seriously?” He looked at her, “Ugh, fine… Venti Pink Drink please… and two cake pops”. After receiving their order, he looked up at her, laughing, “You’re way less intimidating holding a pink beverage and a strawberry cake pop; hide that if we get a call, please” 

“I could still kick your ass. Besides, you’re the one that ordered the cake pop.. what are you five?” 

“They’re delicious and I stand by my choice.” He popped his into his mouth in one bite, “And there’s no way you could kick my ass.” 

“Mhmm” she smirked at him, “Bet on it?” 

“No.”   
“Chicken.” She punched his arm. 

“Maybe.” He laughed, shrugging as Lucy’s phone dinged, “Emmett? He nudged towards her phone. 

“God, I hope not.” She picked it up to read the text. 

“I thought that was going well?” Tim asked genuinely interested, but not at all upset that it sounded like it wasn’t. He had noticed they din’t interact the last time they were on the same scene and wondered, but she never mentioned it. 

“It was… until it wasn’t. I broke it off before it even became something. He..just… I don’t know, was boring I guess?… Like he was afraid to disagree with me and treated me like I needed saving all the time…” she trailed off. “Sorry, I thought you knew.” 

“You are most definitely not a person that needs saving” He nodded his head, “And I told you, you could do better.” He winked. 

“Tell my Mother that - she’s the one texting me at 2 am making sure I’m ‘not getting into any trouble’ and telling me ‘I’m not getting any younger, Lucy. I want grand babies, Lucy” she faked her voice imitating her, causing Tim to laugh, “I thought I’d get a reprieve with them on vacation in Italy, but apparently not.” 

“All Mothers do that, Boot.” 

“You’re telling me, that your mother calls you and begs you for grandchildren?” Lucy looked shocked. 

“Oh yeah. She even tries to set me up; I’ll show up for dinner and they’ll be some woman awkwardly sitting on the couch. ” 

Lucy laughed, “Maybe we should just pretend we’re dating for them, maybe they’d leave us alone.” The words slipped out before she could stop them, her cheeks blushing. 

“My mother would be thrilled.” Tim joked back; his mother had met Lucy a few months back at the party Lopez threw for his promotion and now every time they were together she would make a point to ask how Lucy was doing, in a way only mothers could get away with. He looked at her with a smile, holding her gaze. They were definitely having one of their moments. 

“Oh my god, now she’s FaceTiming me.”

“Answer it.” 

“We’re working.” 

“We’re sitting in a Starbucks parking lot eating cake pops, Chen. I don’t mind.” 

“Ugh fine.” She swiped open the screen, “Hello, Mother.” 

“Lucy, Baby! I’m so sorry to disturb you at work, but I knew you were up and I got your Father to take me on a shopping day - anyway, I found this dress I think you will look stunning in for Jackie’s wedding, but I want you to choose the color.” Her cousin’s wedding was in 2 months and she had yet to start looking for a dress, much to her mother’s dismay. 

“Oh, that is definitely my style.” 

“See Baby, I know you.” Her mom showed her the colors, “Now which one?” 

“Green one, please!” Lucy smiled. 

“You got it. Now, are you riding around the streets of LA all alone at 2 am? That’s not safe.” Her mom looked concerned. 

“No, Mom. I’m with Tim.” 

“Hi Mrs. Chen, pleasure to meet you.” Lucy turned the screen to him as he shouted a greeting. 

“Tim, are you the Tim that saved my baby girl a year ago?”

“She saved herself, I was just along for the ride.” He smiled. 

“Well I’ve been wanting to thank you anyway. You keep my her safe tonight.” 

“Always, Mrs. Chen.” Tim nodded, stoic and sincere as usual, with a hint of his T..O voice in the backdrop. 

Lucy turned the phone back to herself, “Okay Mom, we should get back to work” 

“He’s cute, dear.” Her mother winked. 

“Mom! He can hear you!” Lucy shouted trying to cut her off. 

“Oh, right… sorry, you know me and technology.” She laughed, “Talk to you later.” She hung up. 

“I like your Mom.” Tim laughed. 

“She thinks every 30 something year old man is cute, don’t let it go to your head.” They both laughed. “And Tim, thank you for saying..uh… since Caleb she’s just been… always questioning my decisions and ability to take care of myself.” 

“No problem, Lucy, I meant it. You saved yourself that day.” 

“I knew you would recognize it when I threw it.” She said quietly; they had never really talked about the meaning of him finding her ring. 

“I know you.” He shrugged, leaning closer to her., “We know each other.” 

“That we do.” She smiled, their eyes catching in the moonlight as they leaned even closer. For a second she thought he might actually go for it, now that he knows for sure about Emmett; they have had moments, but he always backed up, she chalked it up to him being her superior, but at this rate, that didn’t really matter anymore; everyone knew they were friends, thought they were sleeping together anyway, but maybe it was that he thought she was seeing someone. She could have sworn she saw his eyes darken and shift to her lips, before the radio sparked to life. 

“Seven Adam nineteen, please respond to Chuck’s Bar on 7th for multiple drunk and disorderly complaints.” 

“I, uh — officers responding.” Chen pretty much stuttered in to the radio as Tim cleared his throat and started switching the SVU into gear. 

______ 

By 5 am they were back at the station, 2 hours left on their shift, finishing up the paperwork for the three drunk college kids they had hauled into the drunk tank; yet again, struggling to stay awake. 

Tim sat next to her, pushing his finished chart forward, “Wake me up when you’re done, Boot”, He leaned back against the wall they were sitting against. 

“Hey! No fair!” 

“Five minutes.” He mumbled already half asleep. 

Lucy rolled her eyes and continued with her paperwork. Finishing she turned to Tim to wake him up, but he looked so peaceful she decided to give him a few extra minutes. It was a sight she had only one or two times previously, usually after he had a few beers and they watched a movie when she would come visit Kojo. She leaned back and sighed, telling herself she wouldn’t fall asleep if she shut her heavy eyes just for a few seconds, only stirring slightly when she felt a weight hit her shoulder, as she drifted off deeper into much needed sleep. 

_____ 

Two hours later West and Lopez showed up for their Friday shift, finding each other in the hallway as they walked to roll call. 

“Wait, Lopez.” Jackson grabbed her arm. 

“What?” 

“Shhh! Look!” He quietly pointed through the glass of one of the conference rooms. 

“Oh my god.” She quietly laughed, pulling out her phone snapping multiple pictures. “Tim Bradford asleep on the job, never thought I’d see the day.” 

“Never would of thought he was a cuddler, either.” Jackson laughed. 

“The boy’s got it baaaaad.” Angela joked. 

“They both got it bad. I almost want to leave them there, just to see what happens.” 

“What are you two staring at.” Sergeant Grey interrupted their gossiping about their two sleeping friends. 

“Oh, uh — “ Angela stuttered, trying not to give away what she saw. 

“Oh.” Grey chuckled as he looked through the glass. “That boy’s got it bad… watch this.” He smirked at the two who were very obviously shocked at his reaction. Apparently Grey was team Chenford. Grey walked quietly into the room where Lucy and Tim were out cold; Tim was slouched against Lucy, head resting on her shoulder, snoring quietly Lucy also leaning against him, head back gently resting on top of his. “Tim, it’s morning.” He whispered. 

“Five more minutes.” He mumbled, completely unaware of his surroundings. 

“Boot!” Grey now yelled in a voice quite similar to Tim’s tough T.O. voice, one that he used on Tim when he was a young rookie. 

That worked. Both Tim and Lucy jumped from where they were sitting, frantically trying to orient themselves out of their slumber. “Oh my god, Sergeant Grey, I’m so sorry, I closed my eyes for 10 seconds.” Lucy started rambling; Tim, who was definitely in the more awkward position, slowly tried to move back in to a normal posture, looking like he was in pain. 

“I’m no stranger to night shift, Chen.” Grey smirked indicating he wasn’t mad. After all, night shift wasn’t his problem “Tim, you might want to go see a chiropractor before your next shift, you ain’t getting any younger.. oh, and just so you know, there are much more comfortable ways to snuggle with a woman, if that’s what you want to do.” He laughed as he walked out, Tim turning slightly red. 

_____ 

“Well, that was…” 

“Embarrassing?” Lucy finished. 

“A little.” He laughed. 

“What, no stern words about falling asleep on the job, Officer Bradford?” 

“A. I fell asleep too, and B. Quality sleep puts me in a good mood.”

“You can barely turn your neck, you call that quality?” 

“Strangely enough, that’s the best sleep I’ve gotten in awhile.” He yawned, “Breakfast?” 

“Definitely” She smiled, “Oh and Tim?” He looked at her as she walked towards the locker room to change, “Me too” 

He nodded, trying to hide the smile that was breaking out on his face. He might have been interrupted last night by the drunks, but next time they had a moment, the next time he had an opportunity, he decided, he was going for it. Maybe that would be this morning, maybe it would be next week, but he knew he wouldn’t wait long.


End file.
